Back Doors and Fire Escapes
by theSunlitEarth
Summary: Unrelated LilyxJames drabbles, because this is a fantabulous pairing. Formerly called "When All Else Fades".
1. And She Wishes

**Alright, so, first HP fanfic, and it's basically just going to be a bunch of drabbles, cause they're easy and fun. This first one is really kind of random. I LOVE JamesxLily to DEATH, so most of these will be them. But if inspiration hits, I might do something else. Give me suggestions and I'll try and write something based on them. Drabble dare me :) I've never done it before, but I'd love to try...if it doesn't work though, don't be too disappointed xD Anyway, I'll leave you to read.**

Snow had been falling softly on the grounds of Hogwarts for two days now, covering the castle in a thin white blanket. Everyone was excited; it could be felt in the air. Snow meant winter and winter meant Christmas break.

Lily sat by the window of the dorm, looking down on the grounds. Sirius, Potter, Remus and Peter were having a mass snowball fight, disrupting the perfection of the fallen snow, and occasionally accidently (or purposefully) hitting passersby.

She watched as Sirius hit Potter in the back of the head with a snowball, causing Potter to stumble into Remus. Remus pushed Potter away as Peter tentatively threw a snowball at Black and missed.

She sighed, wondering what it would be like to go join them. She knew what their reactions would be. Sirius would grin handsomely and elbow Potter, giving him a knowing wink, Remus would shake his head in exasperation, Peter would blink in surprise, eyes widening. Potter would probably rumple his hair like he always did, then ask her out. She would say no and he would grin like it was no big deal and say, "Next time, next time."

Lily closed her eyes, leaning back against the cool stone wall. She never would go join them, as much as she maybe wanted to. She was a prefect; she would not join in silly things like snowball fights.

She opened her eyes and turned once more to look out the window. Somehow, at the same instant, Potter looked up, at the very window she was sitting at. He grinned and rumpled his snow-soaked hair, before being unceremoniously hit in the head with another snowball. Then he became preoccupied with chasing Sirius around with a handful of snow.

Lily couldn't help but smile a little. Sure, Potter was an arrogant prat, but sometimes, when he tried, she wondered...

Maybe one day she would join them.

**REVIEW! IT'S THE NEW YEAR! START IT OFF RIGHT :) Haha.**


	2. The Hundredth Time

**I don't know about how I feel about this one...just a random thing that has probably been done a million times. But review anyway!**

I was on my way to Transfiguration when I heard a familiar voice call out a very familiar phrase.

"Hey Evans, can I talk to you?"

I groaned, considering pretending that I hadn't heard him, but then I felt his hand on my shoulder and that option quickly disappeared. I whirled around in the crowded hallway, forcing his hand off me.

"What do you want, Potter?"

I expected him to grin and ruffle his hair in that ridiculous gesture he always did when I was near, but this time, for some reason, he didn't. Instead he grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the edge of the hall, out of the way. Apparently he was trying a change of tactics.

When he turned his hazel eyes back on me, I knew I was in trouble. The mischievous sparkle they usually held had been replaced by steely determination mixed with complete adoration as he looked me over. I would have difficulty saying no to those eyes.

James got right to the point. "Evans, will you go out with me?"

This time, I found myself actually hesitating, my customary answer caught in my throat. Merlin, the way he was looking at me...

But I caught myself.

"Potter, I would never go out with you."

He grinned, like usual, and said, too cheerily, I thought, "Alright. Next time then."

He hitched his bag up on his shoulder and nodded to me, then turned and walked into Transfiguration, but not before I caught the uncharacteristically disappointed look on his face.

I frowned, wondering where the impulse to run after him and say yes had come from. I walked absently into the class and took my seat a few desks in front of James. I could feel him eyes on me, as usual, but this time they made me uncomfortable instead of angry.

I tried to tune out my own thoughts, as they kept presenting me with pictures of Potter's unhappy face. Against my own will, I kept thinking about him, that I should have said yes. Finally, I gave in to my desires and spared a quick glance back at him.

What I saw surprised me to no end. He was taking notes, paying attention to McGonagall. I was shocked. Maybe he really had changed, but was it really all for me?

Potter chose this moment to look up from his parchment, and he caught me watching him. I felt my face flush as he grinned.

Professor McGonagall's admonishment caused me to turn back to the front, but not before I smiled back tentatively, surprising even myself.

I could tell that, behind me, James was still grinning.


	3. All Over You

She finds her way back to the common room after what felt like the longest day of her life. The room is deserted, and the fire is crackling comfortably in the fireplace.

She's half asleep as she chooses her favourite armchair in the darkest corner of the room and flops down in it. She jumps three feet in the air half a second later when the chair goes, "Oof."

She looks down at it with wide eyes, now fully awake, and sees James Potter looking sleepily back up at her with his hazel eyes.

"What are you doing?" she hisses.

"Waiting for you," he mumbles.

She smiles against her better judgment.

"Sit down," he says, patting his lap, still half asleep.

She sits on his lap tentatively and he wraps his arms around her. She finds herself leaning into him, closing her eyes.

He smiles and falls asleep again. She follows soon after.

**I thought this one was cute :) Someone review, please??? Maybe my drabbles suck 0_0 That would be sad...  
**


	4. SMILE!

**Thank you so much to everyone who's already reviewed this: Spark your Creativity, pinkpearl89, LilyAndJamesAreForever, and Missy396. Thanks again :)**

_Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept God's final word on where your lips end.  
- Jerry Seinfeld_

James came up behind Lily as she stood before the mirror, applying her usual minimal amounts of makeup.

He placed her hands on her shoulders, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"You're beautiful."

She turned her head to look up at him and smiled, kissing his jaw.

He looked down at the spread of make up before her and reached over her shoulder to pick up a tube of bright red lipstick that he had never seen her wear.

She looked at it, then grabbed it from him hand, turned to face him, uncapped it, and began applying it liberally to James's face, not just his lips, but drawing a smile all the way up his cheeks.

The she surveyed her handiwork while trying hard not to laugh.

"There, now you're beautiful too."

**This one really kind of made me laugh. Review, let me know :D**


	5. Lost Heaven

Her words hit him like a herd of Hippogriffs.

"Maybe in a different lifetime, James."

As she walks away, he feels his heart slipping away to follow her as the rest of his body stays rooted to the spot.

He should never have let himself fall for her.

_We'll say goodbye, Lost Heaven_

_How we long for Heaven_

_We're letting go of something we never had_

_Time goes so fast, Heaven is lost_

**A/N: Lyrics: Lost Heaven by L'Arc En Ciel**. **REVIEW :)**


	6. Just Give In

It was History of Magic, and Lily had read ahead in the chapter, so she figured it wouldn't be too much of a drawback to take a break.

She looked around at the class; only a select few were actually paying attention to Binns. Most were just whispering amongst themselves.

The exception to this general whispering was the Marauders. They sat a few rows behind Lily, talking loudly (compared to the whispers) and throwing things.

Sirius had bewitched a straw to shoot sticky spit balls, and a lot of the class was already covered with them, unable to pull them off. James was turning what looked like a Fanged Frisbee over in his hands, obviously debating whether or not he was going to throw it.

Lily sighed and tore a piece of parchment off her mostly black notes sheet. On it, she wrote, _Don't. You'll get detention._

She rolled it up into a ball and threw it at James, hitting him square in the nose.

He blinked, picked it up from the desk where it had landed, then looked over and grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to face the front. A few seconds later, her parchment ball hit her in the back of the head.

_Want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?_

She shook her head, an image of James's grinning face forcing its way unwillingly into her mind. She couldn't help but think about how ridiculously attractive he was; must have been all that Quidditch.

She stared at the paper, wondering, _Why not? Why shouldn't I just say yes? He's asked me so many times, and been so patient, maybe I should say yes for once._

She picked up her quill and, after a moment's hesitation, wrote the single word. Yes.

Lily rolled the piece of paper back up and turned in her seat. James was looking at her expectantly. She tossed the ball lightly at him.

And, as she left the classroom an hour later, James was still smiling.

**I like the end of this one, it made me smile. What do you think? Review!**


	7. Rainbows

**This was a drabble dare from tasha27 for, wait for it, GUMMY BEARS! I like it, hope you do too :) REVIEW! Drabble dare me if you want :)**

"What the _heck_ are those?" James asks Lily as she pulls open a small, colourful bag that looks like it's filled with small, colourful blobs. She takes out one of the blobs and stuffs it in her mouth, but not before he realizes that it isn't a blob, it's a bear.

Lily leans back against the armrest of one of the couches in the Gryffindor common room.

"They're called gummy bears, James, they're a Muggle candy."

Before he has time to react, she leans forward and sticks one in his mouth. He frowns as he chews it.

"Interesting..."

"What's even more interesting is this." Lily pulls out two gummy bear, twists the heads off and sticks each head on the other body. She holds up a red bear with a yellow head and a yellow bear with a red head.

"Tada!"

James laughs. "Just don't try to do anything like that to Sirius and I, or something."

Lily smirks. "I would rather have you whole anyway." She hands him one of the mixed up gummy bears.

He takes it and sticks it in his mouth at the same time as she does with hers.

Once they swallow the gummy bears, they both burst out laughing. Then, as they lean towards each other, lips brushing, the bag tips over and the rest of the candy falls from the couch like a little rainbow waterfall.

Neither of them notices.


	8. What He Likes

**Another drabble dare from tasha27, "Well, well, Evans, what are you doing in the boys' dorm with only a towel on?" Hope I did it justice :)**

Lily Evans was having a bad day. This probably had a lot to do with the fact that she had gone down to the prefect's bathroom to take a bath, and when she got out of the water, the clothes she was sure she had brought down had disappeared.

Now she was running back to the Gryffindor common room in nothing but a towel, absolutely fuming and having a good idea who was behind the disappearance.

She gave the password, pumpkin juice, to the fat lady, then climbed through to the common room. She ignored the looks she got, and instead stalked up to the boy's dorm.

The Marauders were sprawled out around the room, reading, playing absently with illicit items or, in James Potter's case, sleeping.

Lily walked over to James's bed, ignoring Sirius's comment, "Well, well Evans, what are you doing in the boy's dorm with only a towel on?" and shook James's sleeping form roughly.

"James Potter, stop pretending to be asleep and give me back my clothes!"

James blinked blearily, looking up at her. "Huh? What are you doing here, Evans?"

Lily scowled. "You know perfectly well!"

Before James could say anything, though, Sirius yelled, "Oi, Evans! Looking for this?"

Lily spun around and flushed a furious red when she saw Sirius, sprawled on his bed, grinning, with her bra hanging off his index finger.

"You!" She yelled, walking towards him slowly. "You great prat!"

Sirius shrugged and threw her bra over her head. It landed on James's bed, and James picked it up, still looking rather sleepy.

Lily changed directions, going back towards James. When she was only a few feet from his bed, though, she was pushed from behind by, she could only assume, Sirius. She stumbled forward, tripped, and, the next thing she knew, she was on top of James, who was still holding her bra, and looking pleased, if not a little shocked.

James looked up at her, grinning.

"You're really pretty when you blush," he informed her.

Lily scowled. "Just give it back, Potter." She snatched her bra from his hand, then pushed herself up and off him.

She rounded on Sirius. "Give the rest back."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Fine, spoil my fun." He pulled the rest of her clothes out from under his pillow and threw them at her.

Lily caught her clothes, shot one more glare at Sirius, then stalked from the room.

As she closed the door, she heard Remus, who had been quiet the entire encounter, say, "I don't think she was very happy, Padfoot."

"That was for Prongs," Sirius replied. "He said he liked it when Evans turns red."

Lily felt the brush creep back into her face as she waited for James's reply.

"It's one of the best things about her," James said, and Lily could hear the smile in his voice.

She turned and hurried down to the girls' dorm to get dressed, but not before he heard James say, "But really, I love everything about her."


	9. Shall We Dance?

**A third drabble dare from tasha27, "Dancing circles around each other." I was trying to think of a way to do that, literally or not, and this was what I came up with. Please review!!!**

When the dance began, he looked over at her longingly as he twirled on the dance floor with a girl he didn't care about during the Yule Ball.

The girl he _did_ care about was quite near him, but, the problem was, he wasn't _dancing_ with her. That was what he wanted.

He couldn't even remember the name of the girl he _was_ dancing with. She glared at him, but he didn't notice, because he wasn't looking at her.

"...Lily?" The name broke through his thoughts. He glanced down at his date.

"Hmm?" he asked absently.

"Why don't you just go dance with Lily?" she repeated.

He glanced over at Lily again. He was dancing quite close to her, but she didn't even look at him.

He sighed. "She doesn't want to dance with me."

His date frowned, then yelled, "Hey, Lily!" over the music.

Lily whipped her head over. "What?"

"Potter wants to dance with you!"

James blinked. "What are you doing?" he hissed at his date.

She didn't answer. "He hasn't looked at me for the entire dance," she said to Lily as they twirled past her.

Lily glanced at her date, who shrugged, then she yelled, "Fine, I'll switch you!"

The next time they danced past each other, they smoothly switched.

When James met up with Lily, she scowled.

"This wasn't for you, I hope you know. It was for your poor date."

James shrugged. "At least I get to dance _with_ you, not just around you."

Lily's scowl deepened, but James could just make out a light blush on her cheeks as the dance ended.

**I have a bit of school work to catch up on, so if I don't post anything for a day or two, please forgive me!! REVIEW!  
**


	10. Shining

**This is just something random that I wrote during History today. Oh, by the way, I must say Rest in Peace to Dumbledore and Hedwig. I just started reading Deathly Hallows. *sniffle***

When he glanced over at her, she felt her heart leap. Sure, he was still sometimes a prat; sometimes he still said things that he shouldn't, but at least he didn't hex people just because he felt like it anymore.

He was slowly changing; he was getting there and it looked like he was really trying to control himself.

The Marauders (read: Sirius) complained occasionally that he wasn't as much fun as he used to be, but she could tell that they actually liked the changes. The four still pulled pranks, but they were plenty less cruel than they used to be.

She felt her eyes on him and she spared a glance at him, first making sure that McGonagall wasn't looking. He grinned, and his eyes reminded her of splashes of liquid gold.

There was definitely something to be said for change.

**REVIEW!**


	11. What's In A Name?

**Drabble dare from LilyAndJamesAreForever: "Can kid's first names be swear words? Is that legal?" This made me laugh. And now I have to say Rest in Peace to Mad-Eye, and George's ear :(  
**

We were sitting in the common room on the couch by the fire, Lily on my lap, leaning against me, the rest of the Marauders sprawled on the couch and various armchairs.

Suddenly Lily looked away from the fire and up at me.

"James, if we ever had a kid, what would we name it?"

I felt my eyes widen, and beside us, Sirius snorted, obviously trying not to laugh.

"W-What?" I stammered.

"A kid," Lily repeated, looking up at me as though she thought I was going senile.

"I never thought about it," I said, looking for a way to change the topic.

"Well, I think that Carson is a nice name," Lily said, ignoring my previous comment entirely.

Sirius elbowed me in the side. "Hear that, Prongs? She's got your life planned for you already. Better get out while you can."

Lily scowled. Sirius shrugged.

"You could name the kid Remus," Remus put in, not looking up from his book.

"What if it's a girl?" Lily asked.

"Whoa," I said. "You're making it sound like you're pregnant or something."

Lily shook her head and was about to say something when Sirius cut in.

"Can a kid's first name be a swear word? Is that legal?"

None of us said anything for a long moment, then we all burst out laughing.

"Are you serious, Padfoot?" Peter asked, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"Only you would ever even ask something like that," Remus said, not sounding amused, but a smile on his face none the less.

"It's a legitimate question!" Sirius protested.

"Only in your world, Padfoot," I told him.

"Think we should get his head checked?" Remus asked, glancing at me.

"Damn, you're so mean!" Sirius said loudly.

This only brought on more laughter.

**Review, Review, Review!**


	12. So Much To Do

**Alright, here is a drabble dare, List, from tasha27. It started off being really bad, then I deleted and just started writing something totally different, and thank goodness it worked out :) At least, I like it.**

**pinkpoodle7: I'm really sorry, I read your review completely wrong (sometimes I swear I have dyslexia). A drabble dare is when someone gives you a word or phrase and you have to write a drabble on it.**

**Anyway, read and make sure you REVIEW!  
**

Lily was scratching intensely on a piece of parchment with her quill when the paper disappeared from under her hands.

She looked up to see James Potter standing before her, dangling the parchment in front of her and grinning his stupid, but somehow attractive, grin.

"Give it back, Potter," she hissed, trying to snatch the paper from his hand. He held it up above his head and made a clicking noise with his tongue.

"You know class ended about five minutes ago already, don't you?" he asked.

She got to her feet, reaching for her piece of parchment, ignoring his question.

James turned around and held the parchment at arm's length. The title on the top read, 'Things To Do Before I Leave Hogwarts.'

He scanned the paper, deftly moving it to dodge Lily's attempt to grab it. He shook his head as he read on.

"You've never been in a snowball fight, Evans?"

"Stop reading that, you bloody git," Lily spat.

He glanced over at her, a false pained expression on his face. "I resent that, you know."

"I don't care what you resent." Lily crossed her arms, giving up on trying to grab her paper, at least for the time being, since all she was doing was making a fool of herself.

James continued scanning the paper, a grin breaking out on his face the farther he read down the list.

"You really haven't done much, have you?" he asked, making Lily turn a furious red, partially from anger, partially from embarrassment.

"You know, I could kiss you now, save you the trouble later." He grinned, tossing the list carelessly on a desk behind him and ruffling his hair.

"I would prefer to be troubled with it later, when you're less..." she trailed off, trying to think up a word to describe him.

"Arrogant? Self-centered? Big-headed?" James suggested. "I've heard it all before." He leaned against a desk. "The only thing that would make me care is that it's coming from you, since you're the only one I care about."

If Lily could have gotten any redder, she would have. As it was, she just shook her head, not knowing what to say.

James smirked. "Fine then. Once you think I'm less..._whatever_, you know where to find me."

He tapped the list with his forefinger, then strode from the room.

Lily closed her eyes and exhaled, then ran her fingers through her hair. She muttered, "Incendio," under her breath, and her list burst into flames. She would never make such a thing again.

But, she thought, as she walked from the classroom, one day she would definitely take James Potter up on his offer...once he was less..._whatever._


	13. Breathing

**I don't know about this one, but I'm going to post it anyway. Please review!**

She felt her breath leave her when he glanced at her.

She felt her breath leave her when he grinned at her.

She felt her breath leave her when he touched her arm.

When he held her hand.

When he hugged her.

When he ran his fingers through her hair.

When he pulled her down onto his lap.

And when he kissed her, she felt as though she would never be able to breathe again.


	14. Red and Pink

**Here's another drabble dare from tasha27, FIRE. I think it went well, but let me know. Oh, and can anyone tell me what AU means? That would be very appreciated. REVIEW!**

The light from the fire reflected in her red hair and made it glow like the flames in front of her. She hummed softly to the baby cradled in her arms as she rocked him back and forth, smiling as he grabbed her shirt with his tiny hand in his sleep. She leaned down and kissed his forehead softly.

Her husband came up behind her and leaned down until his lips brushed her ear.

"I love you, Lily."

Lily smiled. "What about Harry?" she asked, looking pointedly down at their son.

"I love him too, of course."

James circled the couch and sat down beside Lily.

"Do you remember," Lily began, looking into the fire, "when we sat on the couch in the Gryffindor common room watching Sirius and Remus play Wizard Chess? And Remus absolutely obliterated Sirius?"

James chuckled. "Yes, and then Sirius had to get up and sing some Muggle song because he and Remus made a bet..."

Lily laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I wish we could go back to then."

"What about Harry?" James asked, in a surprisingly good imitation of Lily's voice.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't give him up for anything. Even another night in the common room."

"Good. Because you look just as beautiful beside _this _fire," James told her, kissing the top of her head.

Lily shook her head, her cheeks turning a faint red. "You still make me blush, James," she complained.

James smiled. "And I hope that never changes."


	15. Under The Bed?

**ANOTHER drabble dare from tasha27, Jeans ;) Fun stuff. Enjoy :)**

"Where are those bloody pants?" James hissed at the empty dorm room as he rifled unceremoniously through his trunk. He was so intent on his search that he didn't even hear the footsteps behind him until Lily's voice spoke in his ear.

"What are you looking for, James?" she inquired.

"My favourite jeans, but I can't find them anywhere," he complained, abandoning his search in his trunk and lying down on his stomach to look under his bed.

"I think you might be looking in the wrong place," Lily said, watching him with amusement.

James lifted his head out from under the bed, coming up with nothing but a handful of dust bunnies, and looked at her curiously. "What do you..." he trailed off as he noticed what she was wearing.

Lily shrugged sheepishly. "They're comfortable."

James stared at her for a moment longer, then began to laugh. The jeans were a few inches too long for Lily, and, to compensate, she had cuffed them drastically.

James got to his feet and walked over, arranging his features into an attempted serious expression. "Lily, love, I'm sorry, but I think they might be a bit too big on you."


	16. Darkness

**Yay, another chapter! This one is probably one of my favorites, yet I love all of them :) Enjoy, and please REVIEW afterward!**

Lily didn't realize just how addicted to his love she was, until he stopped paying her constant attention. Instead of flirting with her, he had moved his affections to another girl, a Ravenclaw with long, honey blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes. Apart from these obvious differences, this girl also seemed pleased with James's attention, the exact opposite that Lily was, or, at least, thought she was.

Lily looked down the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, her eyes instinctively searching out Potter. He was twisted around in his seat, looking behind him, winking at the Ravenclaw girl, who seemed, at a glance, to be giggling and waving back at him.

Lily felt an extraordinary sense of jealousy build up inside of her, threatening to explode. She didn't even know where it was coming from, but she knew that if she watched that girl and her sickeningly sweet smile for a moment longer, she possibly _would_ explode.

So she got to her feet, abandoning her full plate, and strode towards the door, robes billowing dramatically behind her. As she passed James, she treated him with a cold glare, and he stared back, bewildered, but Lily only saw his face for a second before she was out of the Great Hall and storming up the moving staircases to the Gryffindor common room.

As she walked, Lily felt hot tears well up in her eyes, and she furiously brushed them away. Since when had James become like a drug to her? Since when had she needed his constant flirting and teasing to _survive_? As she crawled through into the common room, she realized that she could never stand to see him with anyone else but herself, yet she didn't want to be with him at the same time. He was so arrogant.

She flopped down on a couch and glared into the fire, arms folded over her chest. She hadn't realized just how addicted to him she was.


	17. Void

**This is a companion piece for the previous chapter, the idea suggested to me by tasha27. I have a math exam and a couple of mock history exams this week, so if I'm slow, that's why. REVIEW!**

She had asked for space, and he had given it. She had told him countless times to leave her alone, and he had finally granted her wish. He had stopped staring at her, ruffling his hair around her, flirting with her, asking her out, and even talking to her except when absolutely necessary.

The empty space that had invaded his chest the moment he had ceased contact with her was threatening to swallow him whole, but he would not disrespect her request just to dull his own pain.

To fill the void, he had sought out the affections of other girls. His current attempt at distraction was a girl with silky blonde hair named Clara. She was a sweet and gorgeous girl, but she was not Lily Evans.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and he looked up from his plate. Remus was looking at him, concern in his eyes. Before any words could be exchanged, however, James turned in his seat, eyes searching out Clara, searching out solace. She smiled and waved when she saw him; it didn't ease the ache in his chest, but he forced a smile and a wink anyway.

And suddenly Lily was blowing past him, giving him a glare that could have frozen the lake the Giant Squid lived in. He blinked, eyes widening. Why was she so angry with him? He had given her precisely what she had asked for. He turned back to his plate, absently poking his food with his fork. He had given her all the space she could ever want, and, somehow, all he gave wasn't enough.


	18. The First Time

**Alright, so I've had this huge mental block for a while, and that's why it's taken me so long to update. SORRY! But please review!**

James Potter sat down after his Sorting at the Gryffindor table beside a small girl with fiery red hair and glinting green eyes. He remembered that her name was Lily Evans. Someone had mentioned it on the Hogwarts Express and he had taken special note. For he had never seen a girl quite like Lily Evans.

The strangest thing was that he found her beautiful. He knew that he had to have her all to himself. And he was eleven. Every other boy in his year thought that girls were icky. James had thought this until he had laid eyes on Lily Evans. She was definitely _not_ icky.

He only realized that he was staring at her when she turned towards him, an annoyed look on her face.

"What's wrong with you?" she enquired with hostility.

Before he could really think, James blurted out, "You're pretty."

Lily Evans gaped at him, and then the shock on her face turned to anger and she crossed her arms.

"Pervert," she said.

James blinked. "What? I-", but the Headmaster had begun to speak. James frowned and closed his mouth, but he knew he wouldn't give up. Of course she wouldn't love him immediately. He just had to keep trying.

That was the first time he'd been rejected. And it was to be the first of many.


	19. Replay

_She´s like a melody in my head  
That I can´t keep out  
Got me singin´ like  
Na na na na everyday  
It´s like my iPod stuck on replay_

He can't get her out of his head. She refuses to escape from his thoughts. It's one of the many things she refuses him, but this is possibly the most frustrating refusal of all, because her flaming red hair and emerald eyes taunt him harshly.

He longs to touch her irresistible alabaster skin, but when the only chance is in his mind, he is never satisfied.

Whether he's beside her or miles away, his mind is consumed. There isn't any room in his head for anything else. He believes there never will be. Images of her replay in his thoughts constantly, never giving him a break. He notices every little hair flip, every time she bites her lip in concentration or gazes off into the distance, daydreaming.

He wonders what she daydreams about. He wishes it was him, but he knows better.

He daydreams about her all the time. He dreams about her as well. He realizes that she may never even spare him a thought, may never look his way with anything but a glare on her beautiful face, but he'll be thinking about her constantly regardless. He knows that his thoughts will never stray.

**At the top: Replay by Iyaz....I changed the first word to She's, cause Shawty really didn't fit with the drabble...haha...REVIEW :)**


	20. How Far We've Come

_Let's see how far we've come,_

_Let's see how far we've come._

"Get out of my way, Snivellus," James spat, not even glancing at the pale, greasy-haired boy in front of him. His eyes were focused, instead, on Lily Evans, who sat in the courtyard with a group of her friends. Snape didn't move, however, and finally James looked at him.

"Are you deaf, Snivellus? Move!"

Snape cast James a glare that would have frozen over the Giant Squid's lake and stepped to one side.

James brushed past him, too intent on Lily to notice Snape pull his wand from his robes. Snape pointed his wand at James and said, in a low but clear voice, "Levicorpus!"

James didn't even have time to turn around before he was lifted into the air roughly by his left ankle. His glasses fell from his nose to the grass below and his robes dropped down around his head.

"Let me down!" he roared, but Snape did not comply. Everyone in the courtyard had stopped talking and turned to watch the goings on. Most were shocked to see James Potter, Quidditch star, hanging in the air by his ankle.

Snape took a few more steps towards James and was about to hex him when Lily came running over.

"Don't, Sev! You'll get in trouble! He'll make sure of it." She cast a glare towards James, who winked, despite his awkward position.

She shook her head and turned back to Snape. "Let him down, Sev."

Snape looked murderous, but he complied none the less, muttering the counter curse under his breath. James toppled to the ground in a heap. He pushed himself into a sitting position and looked up to see Snape stalking off and Lily watching him go, distraught.

James shook his head. "Pity you listen to everything girls tell you!" he called after Snape, whose only reaction was to tense slightly.

"Shut up!" Lily yelled at James. "You're no better that that! In fact, you're worse!"

James located his glasses, put them on, then smirked. "Chill out, Evans." He climbed to his feet, then straightened his robes and ruffled his hair. "Thanks for that, by the way."

Lily crossed his arms. "I didn't do it for you, I did it so Sev wouldn't get in trouble." She looked him over and wrinkled her nose, as if disgusted by him. She shook her head. "And zip your trousers."

James blinked, looked down and turned a light pink. He zipped up his pants then grinned at Lily, who was contemplating how he could be embarrassed by that, but not by being hung upside down in the courtyard.

"Why were you looking at my crotch?" he enquired.

It was Lily's turn to blush. "I wasn't...I just noticed...ugh, you're impossible!" She stormed off in the direction Snape had gone.

"You want me!" he called after her.

"In your dreams, Potter!" she yelled back.

James crossed his arms, watching her go with a grin. One day, soon, he hoped, she really would want him.

**This one was SO fun to write. I had this sudden inspiration, like, James had to have learned Levicorpus at some point, right? So maybe Snape used it on him and that's how he learned it. Anyway, you know that drill, REVIEW and I'll be super happy :D Oh, and lyrics at the top and the title are from the song How Far We've Come (hope you guessed that) by Matchbox 20.  
**


	21. Love Struck I

_Yeah you got me like a puppet on a string  
I can't stop it, girl you make my head spin_

Lily Evans is teasing James Potter again. She is flipping her hair over her shoulder and smiling widely, her white teeth sparkling. He swears that his heart has stopped beating.

She is swaying her hips as she walks down the hallway down the corridor like a runway model. His head is spinning and he has to lean against the wall to keep from falling over.

She is pursing her lips adorably as she concentrates on her potions essay. He is leaning towards her from where he sits across the room.

Lily Evans is teasing James Potter without even knowing it, and it's driving him completely mental.

**Song is Love Struck by V-Factory**


	22. Love Struck II

_I'm craving for you and just like a fool  
There's no way I can stop, stop, stop my desire  
I'm craving for you and you know it too  
There's no one that can top, top, top your smile_

James Potter is teasing Lily Evans again. He is talking animatedly with a huge smile on his face. She is grinning in his direction like a fool.

He is writing his potions essay and the muscles in his arms are tensing as quill scratches on parchment. Her mind is thinking of nothing but how his arms would feel around her. She is possibly drooling.

He is brushing past her on his way to Charms. She is inhaling the scent that is only his.

James Potter is teasing Lily Evans without even knowing it, and it's driving her completely mental.

**Also Love Struck by V-Factory. Oh, and you know what's really exciting? I got pointe shoes for ballet. I'm so excited, especially since I thought I would have to wait another year. Plus my driver's test is on Friday. If I pass, I can drive by myself. Super excited :D Anyway, this was the companion piece to the previous one, in case you didn't realize. REVIEW!**


	23. Dark Places

"Lily!"

James runs over to the red haired girl who is slumped against the wall in the corridor, her body heaving with silent sobs.

James kneels beside her and she doesn't lift her forehead from where it rests on her knees. She just shakes her head dismally.

"Leave me alone," she says. "You're the last person I want to see right now."

James is hurt, but he doesn't show it. He expects this when he talks to her. She still doesn't like him, after all.

"What's wrong?" he asks, reaching a hand towards the alabaster, freckle-spattered skin on her forearm. He stops centimeters away though, longing to touch her, but unsure of her reaction.

"Nothing that has anything to do with you!" she snaps suddenly, lifting her head and glaring at him through eyes stained with tears.

James flinches at her sudden anger. She notices and sighs, leaning her head back against the wall. "My boyfriend; you probably don't know him, he's in Hufflepuff; was snogging some other girl! I went looking for him and they were going at it in an empty classroom. I ran before he saw me, but…" she trails off, closing her eyes.

"His name is Connor, isn't it?" James asks.

"How did you know?"

James dismisses the question with a wave of his hand. "I'll beat him up for you," he offers.

Lily shakes her head. "No, don't."

James shrugs. "Just offering." He sits back against the wall beside her. In the ensuing silence, he thinks about how she now feels the same way he's been feeling for months. He's had to watch Connor and her flirt, hold hands, snog; and every time he'd seen such a thing, he'd broken a little more inside.

Lily looks over at him, frowning at his pained expression. "Are _you_ alright?"

He quickly rearranges his features from a frown to a smile, but Lily can tell that it's forced.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Lily studies him for a moment, then, tentatively, she leans her head on his shoulder. He has a sort of magnetic pull that she is unable to resist. He smells like grass and summer rain.

James' eyes widen in surprise, and then a genuine smile replaces the fake one. Slowly he reaches a hand over and begins to stroke her hair. She doesn't pull away.

She is noticing that there is a side to him that no one ever really sees. He's the Quidditch star, the Marauder, one of the most sought after boys in Hogwarts. But she is finding this side to him that is gentle and careful and she wonders why she had never let him touch her before. She closes her eyes. The repetitive stroking motion is lulling her and calming her tears. Something about James Potter makes her feel like she'll never have a need to cry again.

And, suddenly, James' hand is on her chin, tilting her head towards him. The look in his eyes makes her catch her breath.

He touches his lips gently to hers, kissing her so softly she isn't really sure if their lips are touching or not. However, all too quickly for her liking, he pulls away, waiting for a reaction. And she does what he least expects.

She smiles and her eyes are sparkling. "Thank you, James." It's the first time she hasn't called him by his last name.

She gets to her feet and looks down at him, her expression soft. "Thank you," she says again before turning around and walking off down the corridor.

James stares after her, puzzled by her reaction. He had thought that she would have slapped him, or something, but this…

She had let him touch her, kiss her, a fantasy he had been entertaining for six years, and that was more beautiful than he had ever imagined. Sure, that wasn't all he wanted, and the next day she would probably hate him again, but for ten minutes, he had been in heaven.

_I can be you hero baby _  
_I can kiss away the pain _  
_I will stand by you forever _  
_You can take my breath away_

**Song: Hero by Enrique Iglesias. Love. Review. Let me know :)**_  
_


	24. Of Love and Hate

He looks at her from 'cross the fire lit room.

Her eyes, they glow, twin pools of green, he loves

Her hair, the way it shines as red as noon

Sunlight. He sees a future where he shoves

The boy who's next to her, making her smile

Like he never could. Her grin lights up the space,

His heart feels light, her presence drives him wild.

He wants to talk to her and plead his case.

She hates him though, he knows it, he's a prat;

Too vain he is, too proud of all his skills.

Deflate his head, he must, so glum he sat

Alone. Just watching them together kills

All joy he felt seeing her sitting there.

He leaves the room and knows she doesn't care.

**This was the SINGLE MOST PAINFUL thing I have ever written. We had to write a sonnet for English Lit. class, and mine ended up being about Lily and James. It's as close to a real sonnet as it can get, with a Shakespearean rhyme scheme (ABABCDCDEFEFGG) and written in iambic pentameter with a octave and sestet (volta). So some review would definitely be appreciated :D**


	25. Blush

**Wow...I haven't written anything for so long. I'm kind of brain dead at the moment in regards to writing. The only reason I can post this is because I wrote it a while ago and just finally typed it out. I think it's kind of lame too...so I'm sorry. **

"Mr. Potter, would you kindly refrain from lusting over Miss Evans in class?"

James blinked as Professor McGonagall's voice broke through his thoughts. "What?"

The class broke into quiet snickers and James turned his eyes from the now bright red Lily Evans to his Transfiguration professor.

"It would be more pertinent for you to be paying attention to the lesson, I think," admonished McGonagall.

"Maybe it would, Minnie, but I find Evans to be much more fascinating," James said with a grin.

"Detention," McGonagall said sternly, "and go now to see the Headmaster. I'll be there after class to decide a more long term punishment."

James got up from his chair, but he wasn't worried. He could take detention and anything else McGonagall threw at him if it meant seeing Lily blush.

As he left the class, he winked at her, and Lily turned a red that would rival a lobster.


	26. A Little Madness

He can always pick out his girl from the sea of people flooding Platform 9 ¾. No one else has her fiery red hair. Of course, she's not actually his girl yet, but he calls her that to get used to it (not that it's a hard thing to get used to). Because it will happen.

He follows her bobbing head, trying to catch up with her, but, to his frustration, all the people keep him from her.

He boards the train, still watching out for her. When he finally sees her, he swears his heart skips a beat. That can't be good for his health. But really, he doesn't care.

He hurries down the corridor toward her and finally gets close enough to tap her shoulder.

She whirls around, a grin on her face, but it swiftly disappears when she realizes it's him. She was obviously expecting someone else. Someone much less...James Potter.

"Don't bother, Potter," she says before he can say anything. "Nothing changed over the summer. Oh, but hey!" She hits his arm lightly with her hand. "I'll let you know if I suddenly fall madly in love with you." She rolls her eyes and walks away.

He feels an ache in his chest as he sits down in his usual spot beside Sirius. Maybe she isn't madly in love with him, but when would she realize that he's madly and genuinely in love with her?

He's not sure if she ever will.

**I don't know where this came from...some random recess in my brain, I suppose. Sorry that I haven't written anything in so long...I'm just seriously brain dead...siriusly...haha. Wow...alright, please just review. I'm almost at 100 reviews! 2 more! Yay! I'll shut up now...**


	27. The Joys of Quidditch I

**QUIDDITCH! YAY! The best non-existant sport invented by mankind :D I really like Quidditch, and I realized that I haven't written a drabble on it...I don't think. Anyway, this is the first of a pair of drabbles. Review :) Oh, and if you like RosexScorpius, check out my story 'How Scorpius Met Rose'! **

"The guy who invented Quidditch is officially my favourite person to have ever existed," Lily Evans declared as Gryffindor scored again, putting them sixty points ahead of Ravenclaw.

"Is it because you're actually interested in the game?" her friend Alice asked. "Or is it because James Potter looks so sexy in those robes, when his hair is all windswept..." Alice glanced at Lily, who was watching James with a dazed expression.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "I don't fancy him, if that's what you're implying."

"Sure you don't," Alice said condescendingly.

"Although it is true that Potter is very...physically attractive, his personality still leaves something to be desired."

"That's true."

Lily nodded resolutely. "Exactly."

"But that doesn't mean that you don't fancy him," Alice said as James blew past them on his broom, his robes billowing out behind him as he chased the Quaffle.

Lily reddened.

"Honey, it's like you're undressing him with your eyes. Maybe Quidditch isn't such a good thing after all, if it's putting you in such denial."

"I'm not in denial!" Lily screeched before turning an even brighter red as the students around them glanced at her questioningly. "And I'm not undressing him with my eyes," she whispered.

Alice patted her shoulder. "It's alright. I'll still love you when you become Mrs. Lily Potter."


	28. The Joys of Quidditch II

James stepped off his broom and ran his fingers through his windswept hair. He grinned at the numerous girls in the stands who screamed his name. Sirius walked up behind him and the squealing started anew.

Sirius crossed his toned arms and flashed the girls a brilliant smile.

"Y'know, mate," he said to James, "whoever invented Quidditch was bloody brilliant. They came up with a sport that is extremely enjoyable and also gets you every girl who is or is not already attracted to your stunning good looks."

James rolled his eyes, laughing. "Padfoot, you need to find yourself a hobby...like scrapbooking."

"I have a hobby!" Sirius proclaimed, feigning hurt.

"_Girls_ is not a hobby," James retorted.

"Neither is _Lily_," Sirius replied, waggling his finger at James.

James shook his head. "I do other things," he muttered.

"Like?"

James was about to answer, but he caught sight of Lily's flaming red hair up in the stands as she talked animatedly to her best friend Alice.

Sirius followed his gaze, then rolled his eyes and began dragging James off the field by the sleeve of his Gryffindor Quidditch robe. "Sure, mate. Of course you have other hobbies."

**Part Two of my Quidditch drabble. I posted it because I couldn't help myself...ReViEw!**


	29. The Privileges of Prefects

**More randomness...I don't know where this comes from. Recently, I've had a think for torturing Lily and James...not literally, like, torture, but, you know. So sorry about that. Here's the next drabble...please review!**

Lily had just slipped into the enormous tub in the prefect's bathroom, filled to the brim with shimmering, multi-coloured bubbles when James Potter stepped around the corner.

"You know, prefects really are lucky," he said thoughtfully as Lily stifled back a shocked gasp.

"Potter, _what_ are you doing in the prefect's bathroom?" she asked loudly once she had recovered, sinking further into the water, making sure that she was completely covered by bubbles.

"Well, Remus was telling us how great it is, so I figured I'd check it out myself." As he spoke, he walked over, slipped off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pant legs and sat at the edge of the tub, his feet in the water. "I was going to take a bath, but you beat me to it," he said, not looking at all unhappy about the situation.

"You're sick," Lily stated, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away.

"Lily, darling, it hurts when you say things like that." James caught a few strands of delicate red hair as it dipped in the water between his fingers. He played with the strands, marvelling at their color.

"I don't care if it hurts you," Lily retorted. "And I'm _not_ your darling."

"To me you are," James muttered, enthralled by her hair.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't give you detention."

James shrugged. "Because I'm far too attractive for detention?"

Lily shook her head. "Statements like that are the very reason I can't stand you. Now leave, before I get really cranky and actually give you detention."

James sighed, dropped her hair, and pushed himself up. He picked up his shoes and began out of the bathroom. Before he left, however, he glanced over his shoulder, grinning.

"Nice underwear."

Lily looked at her clothes at the edge of the tub on top of which sat her lacy black underwear. Of all the days to run out of normal underwear and have to wear _that_ pair...

She groaned as heat flooded her cheeks. Bloody git. She wasn't sure how much she really liked the prefect's bathroom anymore.


	30. Ensnared

**Lily is kind of nasty in this one...sorry. I'm also very sorry that I randomly changed the title of this fic to 'Back Doors and Fire Escapes'. The other title was just too lame. Sorry for any confusion. **

**That said, I have a RosexScorpius story called 'How Scorpius Met Rose' (How Harry Met Sally is where the title came from...good movie), so if any of you want to read and review it, I would appreciate it. I would also very much appreciate reviews for this chapter and the previous one...it's feeling lonely. Anyway, I'll let you read now.**

Lily ran her delicate hands over James' chest, feeling his Quidditch toned muscles through the light cotton of his white shirt as he placed soft kisses on her neck, slowly working his way up to her mouth. Her hands twisted in his shirt and she tipped her head back to make her neck more accessible as he pulled her closer to himself.

Right before he reached her mouth, he pulled away from her, breaking off before the climax.

Lily frowned up at him. "Something wrong, Potter?"

James sighed, pushing a stray strand of hair away from her face and looking down into her eyes. He knew the expression in them didn't match the expression in his own eyes.

"Y'know, I'm thrilled that out of all the blokes at Hogwarts you picked me to do this," he said, gesturing to their general situation. "Merlin knows how long I've wanted to snog you, but this can't last forever."

Lily absently traced a finger over his chest as he spoke, looking painfully indifferent, and he bit his lip, trying to keep his thought process from unravelling more than it already had.

"I need more than this. I know it's usually supposed to be the other way around; that the bloke is alright with just physical stuff and the girl wants the emotional stuff, but I don't care. I want to marry you some day, Lily, not just have a quick snog every night."

Lily pursed her lips in thought, then looked back up at his anxious hazel eyes. She was struck by the vulnerability in those eyes, like the next words she said could make or break him, and she supposed that was exactly what would happen. It made her reluctant to speak.

"Potter – James – I know that you love me, or at least think you love me. You've told me a million times. You know that I don't love you. I've told you a million times. Tonight is no different. You're a really good kisser, you're attractive, you can be funny and smart, but I don't love you...I told you at the beginning that this was all I wanted. I didn't want a relationship, at least not right now. Maybe in a few months, or years, I'll wake up and realize that you're the man of my dreams, or something, but right now..." she trailed off, seeing the pain in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry."

James exhaled. "I don't know why I was expecting anything different. I don't know why I ever do. I don't know why I torture myself with you, why I can't just get over you. You're exceptionally cruel, you know." He stepped away from her. "At least call me James from now on? It might make me hurt less. Or more. Who knows?" he added bitterly.

Lily nodded, unsure of what to say. No one had ever said anything remotely like this to her.

James turned around and began back to the common room. He stopped briefly, without looking back.

"If you ever feel like you could love me back, really love me back, I'll be right there waiting."

Lily watched him leave, an unfamiliar ache in her chest, and she realized, for the first time, the extent at which he was wrapped around her finger.


	31. Pumpkin Juice

**On the plus side, I wrote something! On the downside, it's really short and kind of really sad...but I really like it. Let me know what you think.**

"I hate you!"

Those three words echoed incessantly in his ears as she stormed off, leaving him to the sympathetic stares and worried glances of the entire population of Hogwarts.

At his place at the Gryffindor table sat a plate of half finished corn, cold turkey and some lonely mashed potatoes. A treacle tart lay forlornly on a small plate by his glass.

Not even the cries of his best friend could bring him back to his place or relieve the utter pain and humiliation that filled every inch of him.

She had ripped his heart out, torn it into a hundred little pieces and left it in the middle of the Great Hall for all of Hogwarts to see.


	32. imPERFECTION

**Yay, update :) I'm happy with myself. I just wrote this up in, like, ten minutes. I started University today...it's gonna be intense, I think. And I'll probably actually have work, which hasn't happened in years (haha). So if I don't update very soon, I'm sorry. I'll try to think of things though! Anyway, enjoy and review!**

Lily stares at herself in a mirror fogged with steam from the scalding shower she had just stood in. She notices every little flaw; every imperfection of her skin, every asymetrical curve of her body, every oddly curled piece of hair. She hates it. She hates that she can pick out all these flaws, and then, when she looks at herself as a whole, the problems add up and they're all she can notice. She knows it's vain and stupid and that she shouldn't be paying so much attention her appearance, but she can't help it. Maybe she shouldn't read Witch's Weekly anymore.

She gets dressed, displeased with her imperfect jeans and burgundy long sleeve. She brushes and dries her hair, annoyed by the weird kinks. She doesn't even look at her face again, knowing that the blemishes and the spattering of freckles would drive her insane.

She walks down the stairs of her dorm to the Gryffindor common room where James sits, reading his potions textbook with a look of absolute boredom on his face. She hates how perfect he always looks. Hair perfectly messy, jeans fitting like they belong on him, skin free of marks or freckles. She hates it.

When he looks up from his book and sees her standing there, however, she can't miss the look of pure joy on his face. She may as well be an angel, she muses. He drops the textbook, gets to his feet and closes the gap between them, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Then, with three words, he washes away any and all insecurities she had. Three words and a spark of undeniable love in his eyes.

"You look beautiful."


	33. The One

**Whoa, wow, what is this? A drabble? NO WAY! haha. Sorry, i have just a massive brain block for LilyxJames stuff right now, but every rare once in a while, I write something like this in, like, ten minutes or less. Anyway, I don't think it's that fantastic, but it's all I've got, so read and review :)**

_You don't know but that's okay  
You might find me anyway  
Don't you know that I  
Belong arm in arm with you, baby_

James had always heard people talking about "The One". And he hated it. He didn't think that there could be one single person for anyone, much less him. And he didn't know how he was ever supposed to find this girl if she really existed.

But then, on the first day of third year, by chance he ended up in a compartment on the train with none other than Lily Evans. And from the moment she glared at him (his reputation apparently preceded him), he knew that she was "The One".

It took him the next five years to convince her that he was her "One". Five years and a five year supply of chocolate and flowers, plus the occasional expensive pendant or pair of diamond earrings. He considered it progress when the earring didn't come back and the only thing he got was a note saying how she still hated him, she just thought the earrings were pretty.

That day finally came though, when she gave in and went to Hogsmeade with him. And they had the time of their lives, James even convincing Lily to play pranks on unsuspecting passers-by. That was the day that Lily realized that James was her "One".

And they kissed in the gently falling snow in front of the Three Broomsticks for the first time.

**Song is Raindrops by Regina Spektor...love her :)**


	34. Tacos

I really like you. How hard can it be to say those four words? Apparently very hard, as Lily Evans has just tried to utter them to James Potter and they came out sounding something like, "I r-really…I mean…what I'm trying to say is…I l-like…tacos."

Her mouth drops open at the stupidity of her statement. Tacos? Really? Maybe she ought to get her head examined. Clearly she had been intending to say something more related to James Potter than tacos.

Speaking of James Potter, he is staring at her in confusion.

"Lily, what's a taco?"

Before she can even consider what she is doing, she is answering him. "It's a muggle food, James. It's a crunchy shell of cornmeal filled with ground beef and tomatoes and lettuce and sour cream…you really should try one." She then smacks her forehead, realizing that she is no closer to telling him how she feels.

"So you dragged me out of dinner just to tell me about tacos?" He runs his fingers through his hair. "I don't understand you, Lily."

"You're not the only one," Lily mutters. She looks up into his hazels eyes and exhales. "That's not why, no." She takes a deep breath, trying to find the courage to say the words that she meant to say in the first place.

She thought this would be easy. He had been in love with her for years, so she knows that she shouldn't fear rejection, but she does none the less. What if he's changed his mind? What if she's just a little too late and now he's moved on? She would deserve it.

Just as she is about to just turn and run away, James speaks.

"You're going to ask me if I want to have tacos with you, right?" His eyes sparkle and a grin breaks out on his face. "Because I would love to! It's a date!"

Lily gapes at him before she starts to smile as well. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to say." He had a knack for saving her right when she needed him to. "It's a date."

James gives her a hug, almost suffocating her before letting her go and beaming. "I knew you would go out with me someday."

He wraps his arms around her once more, then rushes back into the Great Hall, presumably to tell his mates. Lily stares at his retreating form, wondering if she'll ever have as much confidence as he does.

**Yeah, I know, I haven't posted in forever. I apologize. I'm always working on stuff for my creative writing course, plus I have no ideas for this. But I churned this out for you all, so I hope you enjoy it regardless.**


	35. Hair

"Lily, I was just talking to McGonagall about your Transfi-"

James stopped mid-sentence, his mouth dropping open as he stared at Lily. She was curled up in a large plush armchair, a book in her lap. She glanced up at him as he entered the common room.

"My Transfiguration what?"

James had, however, promptly forgotten what he had wanted to say, for the Lily in front of him only had three or four inches of dark red hair left on her head.

"What happened?" he spluttered. "Where's all your hair?"

"I cut it," Lily stated, looking a little annoyed. "What about Transfiguration?"

"I don't remember," James stated bluntly, taking a few steps forward and staring at her like she had grown a third head. "Why did you cut it?"

"It was bothering me," she said, giving up on getting anything out of him about Transfiguration.

James pulled himself from his short-hair-induced haze and grinned at her. "It's so cute."

He walked over and leaned down in front of her, putting a hand on top of her head and messing her hair.

"James," Lily warned, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, sorry." James' boyish grin didn't fade, however, as he sat on the armrest of the chair and leaned down to press his lips to hers.

"It does look cute though," he murmured, running his fingers through the shortened strands.

She smiled against his lips. "Thanks, love."

**Well, I wouldn't consider two drabbles in three days 'on fire' but it's better than it's been...I recently cut all my hair off...I just wish I had a James to tell me that it's cute...because my Japanese professor telling me it's kawaii doesn't count...haha**


	36. Can't Resist You

Lily lay on the grass, staring up at the sky, so blue she could get lost in it. The humid summer wind blew small white clouds across the endless expanse and she sighed loudly, a smile crossing her face. She wanted to be suspended in that moment forever.

It was the middle of summer vacation and it was perfect. She'd spent seemingly endless days outside; time had lost all meaning. She didn't know what day it was and it didn't matter because she had nothing to do anyway.

When she heard quiet footsteps approaching she sat up, leaning back on her hands, and her smiled widened at the sight of James standing just a few feet away, the wind playing with his black hair. He was nearly perfect, she thought.

"Haven't seen you in a while," he said quietly, walking over and sitting down beside her.

"And why is that?" she asked him, staring at the grass, at her legs, at his arms, anywhere but his face. If she looked at his face, she would kiss him, and that was a fact.

"I've been busy," he said.

"Not good enough," she replied, lifting her face to the sky and closing her eyes, the wind catching her hair and turning it to fire in the sun.

James didn't say anything for a long time, so long that she instinctively opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

The minute they made eye contact, he leaned over and kissed her, and she could have sworn that she was dreaming.

When he pulled away, a tinge of red on his cheeks, Lily fell back into the grass, feeling like she was on fire.

"I didn't come because I knew I wouldn't be able to resist you any more."

**I realized that I haven't updated since 2010! Horrid of me, I know. I've been in a writing mood lately, so there may be more to come :)**


	37. It Killed Her

He had said no, and it was like her world had come crashing down around her. Every hope and dream she had ever had had been pulled out from under her with one very simple word, and it hurt like hell.

She had thought that maybe he wanted her too. The way he smiled at her, touched her arm when he talked to her, invited her to the Three Broomsticks with his friends. But he was just being nice, just making sure she felt included.

She didn't cry, not at first. She was just dazed. All of a sudden every fantasy she had ever had of marrying him, of being his wife, of loving him for the rest of her life, they were all gone. Now every time she found herself daydreaming, she had to put a stop to it because it just hurt too much.

Sometimes she entertained the fantasy that maybe the timing was just wrong, that maybe one day he'd just change his mind and they'd be married and happy. But that would never happen and she knew it.

The tears still came late at night sometimes, when she realized once again that he would never be hers.

Her mind was still full of him. It didn't consume her like it once did, but he was still there, and seeing him around the school grounds made her want to die. She thought that getting a clear answer from him would allow her to move on, but it only reminded her _how much_ she wanted him and that there was nothing she could do about it.

And that killed her.

**This came easy because this is my life right now. (Also, two uploads in one day? What is happening?)**


	38. Young and Beautiful

_Hot summer nights, mid July_

_When you and I were forever wild_

_The crazy days, city lights_

_The way you'd play with me like a child_

Lily stood on the porch, hands on the railing, leaning back, letting the breeze blow through her hair and lift her spirits to the sky like the autumn leaves. James leaned against the railing beside her, his gaze fixated on her. The smattering of freckles across her nose. Her fiery hair, glowing a darker shade of red as the sun went down and the city lights turned on one by one, like fireflies scattered across the country.

"James," she said all of a sudden, turning to look at him, concern in her eyes. "Why do you love me?"

James blinked, taken aback by the question. Why wouldn't he?

"You're beautiful," he said, after a brief pause. "Everything about you is exactly how it should be. You're not perfect and _that_ is why I love you. I can be me and you can be you and we're happy."

The corners of Lily's mouth curved upward, just a little. "Ok, but what about when I'm old and wrinkly and can't really walk anymore and whinge about it all the time. What about then?"

James took a long moment to think. He caught of strand of her fiery hair blowing in the wind, watched in awe as the last rays of the dying sun caught it and turned it to flames. He tried to imagine it white as snow.

"When you're old and wrinkly, I'll love you even more, because I will have had years to get to know every little thing about you and as every day passes I'll realize more and more that you are the best thing to have ever happened to me."

A single tear traced down Lily's cheek and she wiped it away hurriedly, hitting James playfully on the arm.

"You're so cheesy, you know that?"

_Will you still love me _

_When I'm no longer young and beautiful?_

**Song is 'Young and Beautiful' by Lana Del Rey. Review pleaseeee xxx**


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